Snakeasaur Saga: Return to Atlantica
by Tyraka628
Summary: Just when life started looking better for young Melody, the discovery of another strange artifact in the ocean begins an adventure beyond her wildest dreams. Now, with the fate of the seas and world at stake, the daughter of sea and shore must unite with the legendary purple dragon and set out on a journey across seas and to worlds beyond to save Atlantica and discover her destiny.
1. Prologue

**THE SNAKEASAUR SAGA**

Written by Tyraka628

**RETURN TO ATLANTICA  
**

* * *

_**PROLOGUE:**_

* * *

_The Remains of Morgana's Palace, Starina:_

Warmth.

That was the first thing Melody felt as she came too, despite the icy-cold air of this frozen wasteland. She also felt she was moving, or to be more precise, being moved from where she had been knocked out. The strong arms that held her had a familiar gentleness to them, her head resting against the chest of her carrier. The memories of the recent events slowly returned to her: the seawitch taking the Trident and her mother, escaping a watery grave thanks to her new friends Tip and Dash, and finally an brief but eerie showdown between the seawitch Morgana and her family, where the last thing she remembered was miraculously grabbing the Trident from the Seawitch and throwing it back to it's rightful owner: King Triton, the ruler of the magical merpeople kingdom of Atlantica.

Melody was a beautiful young princess, twelve years old and about five ft 2 tall, head and shoulders shorter than her mother. She had fair skin, sky-blue eyes, light-pink lips, and beautiful black hair that grew around in a cap in the front and was held in a large, low ponytail in the back (just like her mother's hair but black and always worn in a ponytail). Right now all she was wearing was a matching set of underclothes: a white, sleeveless shirt with white, 'bloomer' pants, which would've left her frozen in the snow if not for this source of warmth she was held in.

With a soft moan, she managed to open her eyes; at first her vision was a blur of blue, grey, and black colors, but it soon cleared to reveal the face of her carrier: her father, Prince Eric, ruler of the shore-side kingdom of Coastalis.

"...Dad?" She asked softy, her voice frail and weak, as she reached up to place a gentle hand against his cheek.

Eric's face went from one of silent worry to a shaken relief. "Oh, Melody..." He said softly, tightening his arms around her in a hug as her own arms wrapped around his neck. "I was so afraid we'd lost you."

Melody vaguely wondered where he was taking her. But at that moment, she didn't really care. She was safe. Her father was alive. Last she had seen, so were her mother and her grandfather. And Morgana was finally gone.

When she felt herself being lowered to the ground, she looked around and saw her mother, Ariel, sitting at the edge of the ice, waiting for them. Melody gently slid out of her father's arms into her mother's warm and welcoming embrace. Ariel sat there with her arms around her child at last, her long red hair falling down her shoulders, her sea-blue eyes watching her daughter with relief, love, and forgiveness, the teal fins of her tail sit floating in the water.

Yes...tail. As she had just learned less than an hour ago, her mother was not a human...she was a mermaid. And not just any mermaid, but the princess daughter of King Triton, ruler of Atlantica. And that made Melody a mermaid herself.

Melody's story began all the way back at her birth. Only after a year they wed on the open sea, Eric and Ariel welcomed a new member of their family—Melody herself, a beautiful baby girl born with black hair and blue eyes, traits she inherited from her parents. Returning to sea on Eric's ship, they met with King Triton and the merpeople to rejoice together of Melody's birth, a child born of land _and _sea. There, Triton presented his granddaughter with a magic locket, reminding Melody that while she was born on land, part of her world and her heart will _always_ belong to the sea.

The celebration turned to terror when Morgana, the vengeful sister of Ursula, and her hench-shark Undertow crashed the party and attempted to kidnap young Melody. Only by the quick thinking of Ariel, Eric, and King Triton was Melody spared a grisly demise, but Morgana escaped with a miniaturized Undertow, with the threat of Ursula's vengeful sister still loomed. Because of the danger she and Undertow presented to her daughter, Ariel made the heart-wrenching decision to keep her daughter's mermaid heritage a secret, and that meant not having her know about Atlantica, the merpeople, or even Triton himself. Understanding but severely heartbroken, Triton agreed, tossing Melody's locket into the sea and ordering Sebastian to look after her.

For the next twelve years, a wall was erected to ensure Melody's safety from Morgana but it didn't stop a curious twelve-year-old from secretly venturing out into the open sea. Collecting sea treasures from the ocean floor, Melody discovers the lost golden locket that was given to her. When Ariel found out that her daughter has entered the ocean against her and Eric's orders, she was none too pleased. But neither was Melody: after her twelfth birthday party had become a disaster and a heart-crushing argument with her mother, Melody set off into the ocean to find out why the gold locket she found has her name on it and what it means.

It was the perfect opportunity for Morgana and Undertow. After twelve years of seclusion in a frozen hideout, Ursula's sister had been keeping a watchful eye on Ariel and Eric's daughter, while concocting spell after spell to return Undertow to his original size, all ending in failure. With the aide of the manta rays Cloak and Dagger, Undertow located Melody and convinced her that Morgana can help figure out the puzzle to the locket. Morgana told Melody that her destiny resided within it, and that she belonged to the world of Atlantica, where merpeople dwell. Using a drop of magic liquid from one of Ursula's bottles, she transformed Melody into a mermaid, her legs being replaced by an oversized flipper. Melody was overcome with joy, but Morgana informed her that the spell was only temporary, and that the only way for her to _stay _a mermaid was to retrieve a magic trident—King Triton's—and bring it to her. Not knowing that Triton was really her grandfather, Melody agreed to the task.

Befriending a penguin and walrus named Tip and Dash—the so-called adventurers-slash-explorers—Melody headed off to Atlantica to retrieve what was 'stolen' from Morgana.

Meanwhile, Eric and Ariel began the search for their daughter on land and in the waters. Being magically converted into a mermaid once more by her father, Ariel searched every possible place Melody might've been at, guilt-stricken for hiding her heritage for a dozen years. Finally locating her daughter (after her heist of her father's trident) and successfully finding Morgana's icy lair, it was then when Melody discovered the awful truth after willfully handing her 'friend' Morgana the trident: her heritage was kept confidential in order to be protected from the Sea Witch's vengeful sister herself. Melody couldn't believe she had been tricked, and it was going to cost her. She was thrown into an icy prison with a fully-grown (and father) Flounder and her mother being taken hostage. Worse, the spell that Morgana cast upon Melody and had turned her into a mermaid had worn off, leaving her trapped underwater unable to breathe.

With the full power of the trident in her possession, Morgana wasted no time in displaying her superiority. She returns Undertow to normal size, and forces all those with fins to bow down to her. Melody, trapped in her underwater prison with Flounder, desperately tried to break out, but it was for not. Just when all hope seemed lost, she managed to escape when Undertow (chasing a terrified Tip and Dash) was sent through the ice which kept her captive. Being risen to the surface by Dash, she foresaw the horror of Morgana's reign and climbed to the top of an ice tower and confronted Morgana. After a brief but eerie struggle, Melody managed to take back of the trident and tossed it to its rightful owner, King Triton. Furious at Morgana for daring to threaten the life of his only grandchild, the King of the Sea entombed Ursula's sibling for all time in a thick block of ice to the depths below, her ice palace joining her soon after.

But that did not change the fact Melody was still at fault for this.

Melody looked back at her mother with a sad, shame-filled expression, tears threatening to begin spilling from her eyes; she knew it was her fault the Trident wound up in Morgana's hands to begin with. Her parents were only trying to protect her, after all, and she was the one who ignored their warnings and willfully handed the Trident to the seawitch.

The horror and guilt she felt while trapped in the ice fortress when she realized what she had done was beyond anything she had ever felt before, and it crushed her heart knowing that, not only did she steal from her own flesh and blood and handed the sea over to the most pyschopathic seawitch in the seven seas, but that she also defied her mother for locking her up within the wall, and that she could've die because of it.

Luckily Tip and Dash had busted her out before she drowned, and she had gotten the Trident back to Triton before anyone was hurt or killed, but if she had just let her mother explain to begin with...

"I'm sorry, mother." Melody managed to choke out, too ashamed to even look her mother in the eyes. She could feel tears coming on again, but this time, she held them in.

"Oh, no, sweetie. We're sorry." Ariel said soothingly; in her eyes, Melody was perfectly innocent and guiltless. "We should've told you the truth."

"I-I didn't mean to hurt anyone..." Melody said truthfully, still holding back tears. "I just hoped I'd be a better mermaid than a girl."

There. She said it. Her fear, deep down, one she had her entire life: that her parents wished she had been more graceful and poised and beautiful than she already was. Her fear that her parents didn't like her for who she was.

But her mother simply let go of Melody so that she could look her daughter in the eyes. "Oh, Melody, sweetie." She said with a bit of a laugh in her voice. "It doesn't matter if you have fins or feet. We love you for who you are on the inside: our very brave little girl."

"Just like your mother." Came a new voice. One that Ariel recognized.

It came from a tall, muscular merman with a turquoise tail, gold bracelets on his wrists, a long mane of a white beard, mustache and hair, blue eyes, and a gold crown on the top of his head. In his right hand he held a large three-pronged trident of gold.

He was King Triton, Lord of the Seas...and Melody's grandfather.

Melody looked up to see her grandfather swimming towards the little family, Trident in hand. She felt a small surge of guilt at the sight of him; she had stolen from him and thought him a thief, after all...but when she finally forced herself to meet his gaze, she could see the forgiveness and acceptance in his eyes.

Many emotions of happiness, longing, and relief flooded her heart as she got up and embraced him the best she could. "Oh, Grandfather..." She whispered, finally correcting the mistake she made in Morgana's fortress.

Triton felt himself fill to the brim with pure happiness, using his free arm to hug his granddaughter...as he had been longing to for twelve long years. Finally, after all this time, his family had been united once more. "Melody, I don't blame you for wanting to join us merfolk, and because you're my granddaughter, I'm giving you a most precious gift." He said as they parted from the hug. "A choice. You can come to Atlantica with me...or you can return to your home on land. It's up to you."

He was smiling, but Melody could see the sadness in his eyes. His daughter had chosen to stay on land. He knew that Melody loved the sea, but would she give up everything she knew to finally get her dream? It was what her mother had done before her to get hers.

And what _was_ her dream? To live in the sea?

Melody looked back at her parents, who each bore an expression similar to Triton's. They wanted their daughter to be happy, but they didn't want to lose her either. And they knew that they couldn't make this choice for her.

She didn't want to leave her parents. She knew that now. While she had always loved her parents, their relationship had always been somewhat shaky because of the long-kept secret of the sea and her mother's past. She wanted to fix that, now. But she also wanted to get to know her grandfather and all the merpeople under the ocean. To live her dream as she had always wanted. Why couldn't she live in both worlds?

Wait. That was it! Why couldn't they all live together?

A large smile spread across Melody's face as she turned to face her grandfather, her answer ready.

"I have a better idea."

* * *

_Eric's Palace, Next Morning:_

The Trident glowed in Melody's hand as she summoned it's power, a smile like none she had ever worn before now adorning her face. She was standing out on one of the many rocks within the bay of Eric's Palace, now dressed in a beautiful golden dress that matched the color of the Trident, and her grandfather was floating next to her as he watched his granddaughter use the weapon to do what everyone had been wanting for twelve years.

She fired the Trident's magic at the great wall surrounding the palace, cutting off the sea from her home; the mighty structure dissolved under the magic of the seas, as if being melted away by acid, until absolutely no trace it had ever existed remained. The waves washed up all the way to the steps of the stairs, where Ariel, Eric, and the palace staff and royal families from around were waiting for the bond between sea and shore to form once again.

The barrier that had been separated the land and the sea for twelve long years was gone...forever!

"Now, we can all be together!" Melody announced to the world, her joy shared with her mother and grandfather, the former to which Melody waved too from her standing spot, handing the Trident back to the latter. They indeed were finally all together.

The first to break the silence was Sebastian, giving a whoop of joy as the undersea band kicked up the music.

Sebastian: _I feel de music playin'_

_It's swingin' and it's swayin'!_

_Life is a rhaspody_

_Today we're so delighted_

_Today we're all united_

_Here on de land and sea._

_I see de sails are sailing_

_Even de whales are whaling!_

_We're swimmin' fancy free_

_We feeling better now_

_We sing together now_

_Here on de land and sea._

Sebastian and Melody: _La-tee-tah_

_Pick up the beat!_

_Move your fins and move your feet!_

_Life is sweet_

_Life is grand_

_Blowing bubbles with the bass brass band! (Everybody now!)_

"Come on in!" Melody called to those still on the shore; her parents had already joined her in the water, thanks to Eric. "There's plenty of water for everyone!"

Taking her invitation, many of those watching on the beach joined in on the fun with the merpeople; first were the other children, a few being Melody's age and attending her birthday party the day before, and soon many of the more adventurous adults began jumping into the water, despite the 'barbaric behavior'. Today was a day for celebration.

Swimming along through the water, Melody passed Ariel and the two shared a heart-wearming smile between them as they past. It was when they were together that anyone could see just how much Melody was like her mother; if not for the obvious difference in the hair that she had gotten from her father, Melody would've been the splitting image of Ariel when she was that age. Though they were almost the same in personality, their interested where completely opposite: Ariel was born of the sea but found great interest and longing for a life on the land, whereas Melody was born on the shore, but her heart always belonged to the sea. And now both were free to live in both worlds.

Ariel: _There's no more stormy weather_

Melody: _Now we can sing together_

Both: _In perfect Harmony._

Ariel, Melody, and Sebastian: _We're feeling better now_

_We sing together now_

_Here on the Land and Sea!_

Sebastian: _Dose on land sing:_

Land Chorus: _La-Tee-Ta-Doh!_

Sebastian: _Dose below sing:_

Saxaphone Fish: _Lo-tee-Doh-Doh._

Sebastian: _Life is sweet! As sweet can be_

_On de Land and On de sea! Everybody Sing!_

"Come on in, Grimsby! The water's great!" Eric called from where he, Ariel, and Melody were all swimming about. The elderly Grimsby, Eric's advisor and tutor since the prince was just a boy, was the only one who hadn't gone swimming yet.

"I think not, sir." He said somewhat snobbishly, holding a tray of drinks for the royal family. "The very idea seems rather absur-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence because Max, Eric's big slobberly furball of a sheepdog, suddenly came barreling down the stairs in an excited frenzy and crashed into Grimsby from behind before he could finish the sentence, sending both dog and human into the water with a big splash. Everyone watching began laughing or giggling their heads off as Grimsby and Max resurfaced, the former looking non-too amused while the latter simply wagged his stump of a tail with happiness.

Sebastian: _I'm feeling better now_

_We sing together now_

_Here on de Land and Sea!_

Everyone:_ We're feeling better now_

_We sing together now_

_Here on the Land...and...Seeeeeeeeea!_

With the power of his trident, Triton summoned a beautiful rainbow to form in the sky above the palace and nearby ocean, a symbol of the unity between land and sea...a symbol incarnated as the young daughter of Ariel and Eric: Princess Melody.

Little did any of them know that their adventure was only beginning.


	2. Discovery On The Shore

_**CHAPTER I - DISCOVERY ON THE SHORE  
**_

* * *

_One Year Later, Melody's Birthday, Late Morning:_

The ocean is a beautiful and wonderous place. It covers more than 80 percent of the entire planet's surface, the waters stretching out endlessly beyond the horizon, and going down for many miles in some areas or merely a few feet in others...and yet mankind knows practically _nothing _about it. In its waters live countless variaties of marine life of all classes and breeds; some live in the beautiful coral reefs near the white, sandy beaches. Others live out in the wide open ocean, where there's nothing but beautiful blue water for miles around. Others live in the darkest abysses near the very bottom, hiedous creatures spending their entire lives in pitch-black darkness.

Overall, the ocean is another world entirely.

For centuries, the bottom of the deepest seas have been shrouded in mystery and superstition, especially during this era: the early Victorian Era, when great schooners sailed by the winds and no man has ever gone more than a few feet beneath the waves and lived to tell the tale.

And for just as long, man has argued amongst himself and told tales of what could possibly exist down in the unexplored depths of these mysterous waters. Some stories tell of mighty sea monsters lurking in the darkness of the abyss; great beasts growing hundreds, if not thousands, of feet long, powerful enough to create waves reaching hundreds of feet high with a mere stroke of their massive tails or tentacles, waiting for an unexpecting ship to fall into their clutches...while others tell of treasures and long lost cities; great relics and legends of time, and riches beyond anyone's wildest imagination, of lands and kingdoms that have long been lost beneath the sea.

But the best known stories are those of the merpeople; people with the tails of fish that live down in the depths of the seas, far out of the reach of human nets, harpoons and fishhooks.

Tales of the merpeople vary; some claim that mermaids, the women of the species, are murderous sirens, using their hypnotic voices to lure ships to their doom on the rocks and feed of the flesh of drowning sailors. More common stories claim that they are merely people of the sea, who live in a great underwater kingdom, ruled by the powerful yet wise and just King Triton, lord of the seas. Others...well...doubt merpeople's existence entirely, saying they're no more than the half-crazed fantasies of sailors who have been far too long at sea.

However, as one royal family living at the edge of the sea learned, fantasy can be very real.

The kingdom of the merpeople does indeed exist...and it is called Atlantica.

Standing tall and proud within the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, the great kingdom of Atlantica was something that appeared to have come straight from a fairytale...but it was very real. The mighty palace of King Triton stood tall above all the others, while the other buildings decorating the sea floor surrounding the palace were no less majestic or beautiful; the city itself was carved from the rock and coral of the sea floor, while the palace was built from what appeared to be pure gold, but stood stronger than the toughest steel. The entire palace and city alike glimmered with an heavenly, golden aura, it's beauty and awe found nowhere in the world above the waves.

It was truly a place of peace and harmony, far from the world of man.

But that didn't mean Atlantica _never _had contact with humans or the world above.

For years now, Atlantica and a kingdom on the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, the Kingdom of Coastalis, have been in contact and have known of each other's presence. Why? Thanks to the greatest unity that can ever occur between two kingdoms: marriage between members of the royal families, this case the marrige of Prince Eric of Coastalis and Princess Ariel of Atlantica.

Ariel was the youngest of the seven daughters of King Triton and Queen Athena, the other six named Attina, Aquata, Andrina, Adella, Alana, and Arista. But unlike her sisters, who inherited their father's caution and distrust of new things, Ariel had inherited her mother's adventurous and open-hearted nature; that, coupled with the stubborness she inherited from her father, had led to her being an adventurous and daring young teenager with a heart large enough for the entire sea...but she gave her heart to the land and world of man, which she had always found fascinating and longed to be a part of, much to her father's anger and chagrin.

Her journey to her life on the land began when, noticing a shadow passing overhead, swam to the surface to see the royal schooner of Prince Eric himself, which was celebrating in honor of the prince's eighteenth's birthday. Many would say it was foolish of Ariel to jump for the prince the moment she saw him...but the little mermaid _knew _the moment she saw him she had found her one true love, human or no. However, a great hurricane unleashed it's full power upon the ship, destroying it and knocking Eric unconscious, his limp body thrown into the waters. So, disobeying her father's law and desperate to save the man she loved, Ariel rescued the prince from drowning, pulling him to shore...where she sang to the world that she loved him and longed to be part of his world. She then disappeared into the ocean once more, but not before Eric awoke, catching a brief glimpse of her face and hearing a portion of her heavenly voice, vowing to find who it belonged to.

Sebastian, King Triton's right-hand crustacean advisor, witnessed Ariel rescuing the young prince and tried to convince her that life under the sea was better than what the land had to offer, for her sake and his own. But Ariel wouldn't be swayed; she longed for her true love, and that longing was only made stronger when her longtime friend Flounder presented her with a statue of Prince Eric that had sunk when the rest of his ship did at her secret grotto where she kept all of her human treasures she had found over the years. However, a slip of the tongue from Sebastian, and a furious King Triton discovered her grotto, angrily confronting her about her saving the life of a 'Spineless, Savage, Harpooning, Fish Eater' that he believed all humans to be. Upon discovering his daughter's love for the prince, he drew the line, destroying Ariel's entire collection with the power of his trident, Eric's statue included; Ariel broke down and wept, and King Triton left her alone in her now-empty grotto, ashamed of his actions.

However, their argument hadn't gone unheard, for Ariel was soon visited by Flotsam and Jetsam, twin messenger eels of Triton's treacherous sister: the seawitch Ursula. The two lead Ariel to Ursula's lair, where the octopin offers to turn Ariel into a human for three days, in exchange for her voice: if she could earn his true love and kiss, the spell would be permanent and Ariel would remain a human forever...but if she failed, then Ariel would be hers forever as a lowly polyp.

Willing to do what it took to find her love, Ariel agreed. She was then turned human and carried safetly to shore by Flounder and Sebastian, who agreed help her find her prince.

The first two days went well: she was found by Eric himself, who gave her a home in his palace with him, where she met French chef Louis, kindly housemaid Carlotta, and elderly Grimsby, Prince Eric's servant and tutor since his days as a lad. However, without her voice, Eric did not recognize her as the same girl who saved his life that day. That did stop Ariel from winning his affection, though; on the second day, Eric and Ariel went on a boat ride through the swamp and, with Sebastian's help, soon found themselves ready to accept their love.

They would've succeeded then and there, but failed thanks to the intervention of Flotsam and Jetsam; Realizing that had been too close a call, Ursula took matters into her own hands, transforming herself into a resemblance of Ariel, placing Eric under a spell and having the him marry _her _instead. Her plot was foiled by seagull Scuttle, though, who saw through her disguise and prevented the wedding from taking place; during the commotion of the wedding crashing, the seashell amulet containing Ariel's voice shattered, breaking the spell over Eric and restoring the magical voice back to it's original owner, whom Eric finally recognized.

But it was too late; it was the third day, and the sun set before they could kiss.

The spell on Ariel broke, transforming her into a mermaid before Eric's eyes; triumphant, Ursula returned to her own true form, kidnapping Ariel and disappearing beneath the waves. With Sebastian's help, King Triton was able to get to Ursula in time, but he could not break the deal Ariel had made with the Sea Witch three days previous, even with the power of the trident. Not wanting to see his youngest child turned into a polyp, Triton agreed to take her place: Triton was transformed into a polyp, while Ursula gained the crown and possession of the trident, enabling her to rule the entire sea...as was her original plan all along. In the ensuing battle that followed, where Eric saved Ariel from the seawitch, Flotsam and Jetsam were evaporated accidentally by the Sea Witch herself, thanks to a misdirected bolt from the trident, due to Ariel's intervention. Furious, Ursula turned herself into a giant tried to eradicate Ariel, her madness creating a great storm and rising sunken ships from the sea floor. Eric, not willing to lose Ariel again, seized the wheel of one of the ships and rammed it's broken stern mast through her blackened heart, destroying her for good. The Sea Witch defeated, all the polyps under her curse transformed back to their original merman/mermaid selves, including King Triton, who regained his crown and trident.

Seeing that Ariel truly loved Eric, as well as owing a debt of eternal gratitude to the human who brought down his evil sister for good, Triton accepted what was to come and used the trident's power to turn Ariel into a human permanently, despite the fact he was going to miss her. Ariel and Eric where then wed at sea, where Ariel made amends with her father.

Normally, that's when they would say they lived Happily Ever After...but the story was far from over. Their legacy of their adventures in the sea was now bestowed and carried on by their daughter: Melody.

The beams of the morning sunlight that pierced through the ocean's surface shown down upon the kingdom beneath the sea, the water's turning them a soft blue, giving the depths an even more mystical appearance. It was the perfect time of year for the kingdom of Atlantica to be hosting a grand celebration. All throughout Triton's palace the royal mer-staff were completely transforming the interior of the throne room; one of the many rooms being redecorated for the up-coming celebration: Melody's 'late and redone' birthday party.

It had been a full year since Morgana was defeated and the wall seperating the land from the sea was taken down for good; trips to Atlantica had become a regular thing for Melody and her family. Since the seawitch's demise, Undertow, Cloak and Dagger had been spending their days locked away with the sea's most vile and dangerous criminals, Tip and Dash had been welcomed by Atlantica and made honorary members due to their bravery during the crisis, and Eric, Ariel, and Melody have enjoyed their life on land and in the sea even more so now that Morgana was no longer a grave concern, not having to worry about setting foot in the water and fearing danger from Ursula's vengeful sibling.

Just a few days ago, Ariel and Eric had made plans with their father/father-in-law (in private!) to celebrate Melody's birthday in Atlantica, also to give Ariel and her aquatic relative a greatly-overdue reunion; it would be a surprise party, held after the first party at Eric Palace, when Melody wasn't suspecting a thing. Triton was thrilled with the idea, but matters in the ocean had to be tended to first: with the sea-witches gone for good, Atlantica and the rest of the ocean's kingdoms finally had the chance to begin their lives once more.

It took what felt like forever, but now they were ready to unite the land and sea once more.

"How are the preparations coming along, Sebastian?" Triton asked from upon his throne, Trident in hand as he oversaw the transformation to the main throneroom.

Sebastian went over his list, which dangled down longer than Triton's own tail. "All is in order, your majesty: De decorations All we're missin' now is da birthday girl herself."

Triton, Sebastian, and Flounder were all really excited. They knew Melody was going to be really surprised and it would be nice to see her and Ariel again. Flounder saw them from time to time, either by floating up to the surface or them coming down to visit him for a weekend or two, and Sebastian now usually spent the majority of his time with Ariel and her family up on the land with them.

Triton knew how they felt; it made him almost consider of turning Flounder or Sebastian into a human as well.

"Oh, fiddle-fuddle." Sebastian remarked as he rolled his list up into a scroll. "I'm proud to be who I am; be t'ankful for it, don't'cha know? We all should feel dat way."

Flounder and Triton just gave him a straight look that they disagreed. The crab huffed in indignation, throwing his list away and swimming off out of the palace, most likely to check on things outside. No sooner had he left did preparations continue, though Triton's mind was elsewhere; he reached down to the side of his throne and lifted up a stack of large, flat calm shells; on each shell was a different picture of his family and treasured moments: his deceased wife, Athena, whom he missed deeply, his other daughters, friends and family of old, and so forth...but his favorite of all was, by far, the one of Ariel, Eric, and his sweet little Melody.

He still could hardly believe how much time had gone by and things had changed, but he was going to enjoy seeing his granddaughter again.

Triton: _The years have passed_

_and times have changed_

_Like the Ocean's tide and waves_

Flounder: _There have been good times_

_and the bad_

_We've had our smiles and raves_

_We have hellos_

_and then goodbyes_

_For when we come and go_

Sebastian: _But now we must get planning for_

_A special day we know..._

Everyone:_ A party!_

_A party!_

_We're going to have a party!_

_We're going do the best you will see._

_We'll do the best we can_

_Every mermaid, every merman_

_For the birthday of Princess Melody..._

_Polish the silver and the gold_

_Clean up the messes as you're told_

_The princess, she'll be here soon._

_By rise of the sun and moon._

_A party! A party!_

_We're going to have a party!_

_We're going do the best you will see._

_We'll do the best we can_

_Every mermaid, every merman_

_For the birthday of Princess Melody_

Meanwhile, the Kingdom of the Coast was preparing a celebration party for their little princess as well. The castle was all decorated, and a grand-ball was going to be held that night; the kingdom itself was going on just as it usually does, while inside the palace everything was all rush, rush, rush to get everything ready and perfect for the celebration of the day Ariel and Eric's precious Melody had been brought into the world. Servants and maids were rushing about with the preperations. A few on ladders were setting up the decerations, the tables were being set up and ballroom scrubbed from ceiling to floor, while Chef Louis and the royal cooks were preparing all the delicious birthday foods and snacks with 'manifique elegance', including a huge birthday cake with thirteens candles, while Carlotta and the other maids were busy making the suits and dresses for the special occasion shine and look perfect on anyone.

And in the middle of it all was Ariel and Eric themselves, overseeing the decorations on their layer of the world. Both of their causal day-wear seemed to be drowned out by the beautiful appearance of the ballroom around them.

Ariel: _It seems as only yesterday_

_She was my little tiny baby_

_And now she's grown and learning well_

_She really takes after me_

Eric: _And today is like no other_

_That any one of us has seen_

Both: _Our daughter has grown some more_

_For today she turns thirteen._

Everyone:_ A party!_

_A party!_

_We're going to have a party!_

_We're going do the best you will see._

_We'll do the best we can_

_Every man and woman_

_For the birthday of Princess Melody._

It was a place anyone couldn't be happier to be alive in, including the pride of both the royal parents' hearts: Princess Melody, who was just waking up from a blissful sleep in her bedroom in the palace. She was in her bedroom, lying in her large bed under her purple blankets and dressed in her baby-pink nightgown; the entire room was dark due to the window curtains blocking the outside light from coming through her balcony window, but she could tell it was morning outside.

In other words, the now just-turned teenager princess had absolutely no intention of getting up.

That's when she heard the door open, and in walked in the Palace's head-housemaid Carlotta, carrying with her a fresh set of sheets for the bed.

"Rise and shine, your highness!" Carlotta said merrily as she strolled in, setting the sheets on one of the chairs before opening the window; the room was suddenly filled with the bright light of the rising morning sun. "It's a beautiful day outside!"

Melody moaned as she turned away from the window, grabbing one of her pillows and bringing it down over her head.

"Mmmmmhh...Five more minutes..." She murmured into the mattress.

Carlotta merely shook her head an amused smile; this was an occasional routine the palace went through often. "Come on now, Melody. You don't want me to bring Max in here again, do you?" She asked, her voice full to teasing humor.

That did the trick; last time Melody tried to sleep in her parents got her up by bringing in Max to greet her in the morning...and by greeting they mean the big, slobberly hairball jumping up on top of Melody and giving her equally big, slobberly licks. Her parents found it hilarious, as did she after a few hours, but it was an experience she never wanted to repeat. Don't get her wrong, she loved Max, as she did everyone she considered family...but she hated those slobberly wet licks he was so fond of giving people.

"Okay, okay..." She groaned, sitting up in bed and stretching out the knicks and stiffness in her arms and body, yawning as she did so. "...what time is it, Carlotta?" She asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Time for you to get ready and head downstairs; you don't want to be late for your own birthday party, do you?" Carlotta told her as Melody got up, the young princess pushing away the covers and slipping her feet into matching slippers before standing up. "Now then, what would you like to wear today?"

Melody smiled appreciatively. "Carlotta, you don't have to help me pick my own clothes." She assured the maid with a slight giggle. "I can do it on my own."

Carlotta smiled herself. "I know, I know..." She said before sighing happily. "It seems like only yesterday you were that little princess that I used to help pick out clothes for, tie her shoes, and make her bed before she would run downstairs to breakfast."

Melody couldn't help but blush. "Carlotta, you're embarrassing me..." She whined.

"Oh, _I'm _embarrassing _you_." Carlotta joked with a sly grin, tossing the girl her clothes for the day, surprising the girl before she quickly caught them. "If only you knew just how much trouble your parents, Grimsby, and I have been through trying to keep that daring, mischevious, getting-into-trouble girl I knew under control! The only thing that's changed now is that your old enough to get yourself into more kinds of it! Oh, heaven forbid what will happen the day when you start dating suitors!"

Melody sighed, blowing a few strands of fallen hair up out of her face. _'Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence...'_ She thought in annoyance.

"Now get yourself cleaned up, young lady." Carlotta then said, dumping all the dirty sheets in her basket. "You're parents are expecting you downstairs."

Melody smiled as she turned her gaze to the window, watching the beautiful blue waters wash ashore in the form of waves; it felt wonderful to be able to look out her window and see the ocean expanding beyond the horizon...instead of waking up to a large wall casting a forbidding shadow over her castle home, blocking her from the sea that she loved. Those days were now over...for good.

As Carlotta stripped the bed and remade the sheets, Melody walked behind the cover and slipped herself into her usual three-green dress, which was a green duplicate of her mother's three blue dress: the midsection being the darkest green, the sleeves being the lightest, with the skirt part being in between. She then wrapped her long back hair into it's usual ponytail before making her way to her dresser, sitting down in front of the mirror.

Pulling open the top right drawer, she reach in and brought out her most prized possession: A golden seashell locket with her name carved into the front.

A thoughtful smile formed on her face as she just sat there, holding the seashell necklace in one hand while running her fingers across the smooth surface...and recalling the great adventure she had gone through to learn the truth about this necklace...and about herself. Only a mere three months had passed since that crazy trip to Atlantica and back, and now Melody was enjoying the beginning of a new and better life.

Melody: _This is my world now, everyone_

_One world, the Land and Sea_

_But no matter where I roam, or which I call home_

_Both will always be a part of me..._

Everyone:_ A party!_

_A party!_

_We're going to have a party!_

_We're going do the best you will see._

_We'll do the best we can_

_Every man and woman_

_For the birthday of Princess Melody._

Chef Louis:_ Bake zee cake, and bake zee pie_

_Make it so they stand up high_

Grimsby: _Present yourselves, and look up straight_

Carlotta: _So much to do and de-cor-ate...!_

Everyone:

_A party!_

_A party!_

_We're going to have a party!_

_We're going do the best you will see._

_We'll do the best we can_

_Every mermaid, every merman_

_For the birthday of Princess Melody._

_For the birthday of Princess Mel-oooo-deeeeeeee!_

The song ended and the entire palace burst into cheer; Melody giggled at the sight of the finished musical number before turning away from the window.

Returning to her desk, she slipped her necklace around her neck and, finishing up the last touches with a quick brush of her hair and straightening out of her dress, headed downstairs. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, she was greeted by the sight of her parents waiting for her at the bottom.

"Hi, Mom! Dad!" Melody called back before she sat herself down on the railing of the stairs; she slid down with an excited squeal and literally flew into her father's arms. Eric and Ariel laughed as the former caught his young daughter in his arms, spinning around once before the two parents giving their daughter a loving hug.

"Melody, I think you may be getting a tad too big for this." Eric said with a laugh, setting his daughter down on her feet.

"Sorry, Dad." Melody said with a slight giggle. She then stifled a yawn, rubbing the last bits of sleep from her eyes. "Now would someone tell me why I had to get up so early?"

"_Early_?" Her father asked with a cocked eyebrow. "Melody, it's almost noon. Not exactly what I'd call early."

"Huh?" The raven-haired teen asked in confusion, turning her gaze to the grandfather clock standing near the far wall; sure enough, it was well past eleven, almost twelve. "How-?"

Ariel sighed with an amused huff. "You were up late last night 'adventuring' with Tip and Dash again." She asked. "You didn't come back until way past sundown, remember?"

Melody blushed sheepishly. "Oh...yeah..." She muttered.

The former mermaid smiled. "Well, never mind that. The party starts at six, and your father and I are going into town with Carlotta and Louis to get a few last things for the refreshments; do you want to come with us, or can you keep yourself out of the way of the servant staff until the guests arrive?"

Melody sighed, not looking at all excited or anxious as most kids should be about their birthdays; for the young princess, birthdays had never ended well on her part. Thanks to her sheltered, hidden life, she had grown to be shy and awkward around other kids her age...and these big birthdays her parents hosted for her were amongst the worst situations a socially-awkward pre-teen could be in; out in the middle of attention, surrounded by the higher, judging royal class, all of them watching and just waiting for an accident to bring forth complete and utter humiliation...which, thanks to her awkward nature, or to the accident-prone sea life she hung out with, was a common occurrence. Already, many of the kids of the neighboring royal or noble families thought her as 'weird'; a word she had come to loathe with a passion.

"I...I can keep myself occupied until then." She finally stated. "I'll just stay out in the bay until the party."

Ariel nodded. "Alright, but you know the rules. They are..." She trailed off expectantly.

Melody groaned; how many times had she repeated them out loud again? "One: Only use my necklace when no one's around. Two: Keep my tail below water and out of sight at all times. Three: Do not wander too far from shore. And Four: Do not, repeat, _do not_ go beyond the Drop Off." She chanted. "There. Can I go _now_?" She then whined with impatience.

Eric laughed fondly at his daughter. "Of course; just keep the rules in mind." He said, ruffling her hair. "And remember: be back by six. Okay?"

"I will!" She told them, giving her parents one last hug before running off to breakfast.

Eric chuckled as he and Ariel watched her go. "Stay out of trouble. Be back by six..." He muttered to himself and Ariel in a joking manner as they prepared to leave. "I might as well tell the sun to stop shining or the sea to dry up."

Ariel smiled. "That is true, but I'm glad she now has the freedom to do so." She told her husband as she walked beside him arm in arm. "Morgana is finally gone, and their nothing now to prevent her from returning to the sea...and I'm glad she finally can."

Eric nodded with his own smile.

* * *

_An Hour Later:_

After she finished up breakfast, Melody quickly headed outside to her favorite spot: the beach. Living in a palace and village built right on the shoreline definately have it's benefits to sailors and others who lived on and for the sea. Coastalis, as the kingdom was called, was made-up mostly of shoreline territory, and was one of the biggest and most used seaports in the land...or sea, for that matter.

The young princess reached the base of the grand steps leading down to the shoreline, stopping on the last step; after making sure no one was around, she quickly pulled up her skirts and pulled her dress up and off her, leaving her in her usual swimwear: her undergarments. She always swam in them; not only was it even more difficult to swim in these heavy, massive dresses than it was to walk in them, but Carlotta always had a fit trying to wash them free of salt and other seawater crud.

She folded up the dress neatly and set it up a few steps away from the water, sitting down on the steps to remove her shoes and socks; once her feet were bare, she step out onto the warm sand on the beach, giggling childishly as she wiggled her toes in the warmness. Taking in a deep breath of that salty sea air, she headed down to the water's edge, the sands darker, wet and smoothed out by the waves washing constantly against the shore, as they were now.

She made her way down the beach to where the rocks jutted out of the water's surface and sand's edge, climbing up one on the shoreline that stretched out beyond the beach and to the deeper waters of the bay where Melody usually swam and collected seashells.

And, taking a deep breath, she dove in.

*SPLASH!*

The feeling of the ocean water against her skin never failed to bring her comfort and peace of mind; she soon resurfaced, leaning back and taking the moment to just float on the surface, her eyes closed as she let loose a sigh of contentment, the water lapping at her face and skin.

To her the ocean was everything: peace, fun, friendship, love, and a home. She always felt more at home in the sea than she even did in her father's castle.

And now she knew why.

She would never forget that beautiful feeling of being a mermaid for the first time, even if it was under the trickery of an evil sea-witch: the way the water flowed through her lungs just like the air, the grace and elegance in her mermaid's tail, able to finally live in the sea as she had always dreamed...

It was heaven, and she knew she would _always_ be a part of it.

But enough dawdling on past memories; time to make some new ones...and to collect more ocean treasures for her collection. It was kind of ironic in a sense: Ariel was always fascinated with the world on the surface during her teenage years, while Melody was the opposite, being more intrigued by the sea itself and the things living within it.

Still floating on her back, she reached to her neck and put her fingers to her treasured pendant; as if sensing its wearer's wishes, it began to glow with a beautiful golden light. Magic Light. The same kind her grandfather's Trident wielded. This magical glow flowed outwards from the pendant and swirled around her like a whirlpool, engulfed her from the waist down in a cocoon of what looked like golden water/light, the sound of flowing water and pixiating magic filling her ears.

Suddenly, the magic flowed into her legs and lower torso; her body underwent an amazing transformation, her legs and torso from the waistline down merging and changing into long, peach-colored mermaid's tail, which ended in a oversized fish-like flipper of a lighter color.

Melody grinned brightly at the sight of her new tail, giving it a few playful swishes.

The new magic of her necklace was Triton's doing. After the celebration following the destruction of the Sea Wall, The King of the Seas used his Trident to 'bless' her pendant with a new ability: with a mere touch, the magic would change her into a mermaid and back again at her will. Needless to say, Melody was thrilled, and Triton even gave a matching pendant to Ariel with the same ability, just in case and as a 'I miss you' present to her.

With a few strong flicks of her tail, Melody dove down to the ocean's floor and glided gracefully above the sandy floor, looking about in interest for stuff to collect, mostly seashells; these she began collecting of the floor and rocks, placing them in her special bag she always had when diving for treasure. She always made sure her new pieces weren't alive or housing something alive before putting in her bag, knowing that she could very well be taking the home or even body-part of a living creature, and hurting any living creature was something she hated to do. Occasionally some of her dolphin friends swimming in the bay area would bring her a seashell that they found and, after she inspected it and gave them the thumbs up, placed them in her bag for her before they both swam off to continue their present course.

After collecting enough 'treasures' for her liking, she set her bags down on the sand and spent the next half-hour just swimming about the bay at high speeds, laughing with joy as she sped through the water, dipping and looping about through the open water or through the holes and paths through the rocks, just feeling the water flow through her hair. Feeling her tail stroke her forward with a strength she didn't know she had. Feeling the thrill of living under the sea.

Finally, after twelve full years, she was finally free.

If only it could last forever.

"Melody! Where are you, girl? You're gonna be late for de party ag'in!"

Melody slowed to a stop when heard a familiar jamaican voice call her from above, warped and muffled by the density of the water's surface.

Rolling her eyes, she swam down and grabbed the bag and kicked her fins off the sea floor to shoot up toward the surface. She broke through the water's surface, and was greeted by the sight of a red crab with an oversized mouth and eyes, standing on a nearby rock with his claws folded against his 'chest' and a rather stern look on his face.

"Hey, Sebastian. What's kickin'?" She asked with a slight giggle; she then used her eyes to haul her body and tail up onto the rock, sitting on its ledge with her tail in the water.

"Melody, child! How many times do I have to tell you...?" He began, but Melody beat him to it:

"...It is barbaric and unlady-like to go flounderin' around in de sea; a true princess must act and handle situations in de graceful and polite way a proper lady of her stature is expected to. Don't you know?" Melody said, mimicking his jamacan accent in a funny way; the two stared at each other, waiting for a reaction from the crab.

"Correct." Sebastain muttered bitterly, earning a giggle from Melody.

"Oh come on, Sebastian." Melody told him, using a finger to rub his head fondly. "Relax. Just take the time to kick back and enjoy yourself."

"I was enjoying my life." Sebastian stated flatly, waving his claws to shoo away her teasing finger. "Until your mudder and then you came along...a crab my age should be retired; getting a tan, playing a round of sea golf...sipping on tuna-collata! But where am I now? Babysitting _yet anudder _headstrong teenager..."

"Well, it's not like I need you to follow me everywhere anymore." Melody stated, rolling over onto her stomach, her tail curling up over herself. "Morgana's gone for good, and I'm thirteen now; I don't think I need a babysitter anymore."

The jamaican crustacean humphed, resisting every urge to object to her innocent remark; no need for a babysitter, his shell... "True be dat. But de king insists." He told her. "Even wid' de seawitches gone, de ocean can be a dangerous place for a mermaid: sharks, eels, storms, whirlpools, giant squids, and odder sea dangers are out dere. Besides, I've watched you dis long; I can do it for a few more years, to make sure you stay safe."

"Aw, I love you two, _Uncle_ Sebastian." She said sweetly, picking up the crab and hugging him to the side of her face.

"And how many times have I asked you to stop calling me dat?!" The crab snapped as he pushed away from her cheek; Melody merely giggled as she set him back down. "Now den, don't you have a birthday party to be git'ing ready for?"

At the mention of 'birthday', Melody's cheerful mood became a depressed one, matching the mood she had been feeling all day.

"W'at's de matter, child? It's your birthday! Why de sour face?"

"It's not the birthday, Sebastian. It's just..." She sighed sadly as she looked away, gazing out to open sea; the sun was now halfway down the sky toward the horizon beyond the ocean, turning the clouds and sea a beautiful rainbow of yellows, oranges, and pinks. "When I took the wall down, I thought my life was really going to get better...but it hasn't very much."

"W'at do you mean?" Sebastian asked; she was all giddy seconds ago. "I t'ought you loved goin' to Atlantica."

"That's just it. Those trips don't last long enough!" Melody stated with a hint of bitterness in her voice. "We only go for a full week once a month, unless there's a special trip we take for only a weekend; the rest of the days are just the same as they used to be before the wall was taken down, except I don't always have to sneak out when I want to go swimming." She rolled over onto her back, staring up at the skies above her. "I wish...I just wish there was more to my life than just this; something big, adventurous, exciting...something different than what it is today."

"Careful w'at you wish for, mon." Sebastian said warningly. "You may just git it."

The mermaid scoffed. "No, that'd be too good to be true!" She snapped, promptly rolling herself over the rock's edge and diving head-first back into the water.

*SPLASH!*

The wave she kicked up washed over the rock, soaking Sebastian completely.

"ACK! PTHBHBHBH! Heh...Heh...Aw, mon. Dat girl's gonna be de end of me..." He moaned, spluttering water from his mouth.

Melody swam back into the deeper water, back down to her treasure collecting. For an hour she searched the area for anything that could be of any interest; she came up short with searching for seashells but found it in other things...namely a school of sea horses that happen to be swimming by.

Intrigued by the little family of syngnathidaes, Melody followed them away from the shore. Getting a distance from the beach, Melody followed the sea horses over to a outcropping of rocks in the form of a miniature volcano. The school of sea horses quickly swam down the hole on the top and disappeared from sight. She peeked in to find them, but came up short; she sighed in disappointment as she turned to leave...

...but stopped when a glimmer of light caught her eye.

It was the type of glimmer that came from a reflection, as if the light was reflecting of a mirror or something shiny; peeking back down into the little volcano, about ten feet below her, she spotted something like a purple-colored crystal sparkling in the sand, mostly buried in it. Frowning in thought and curiousity, she reached own arm down into the volcano and, stretching as far as she could get, scooped it up in her hand, bringing it up into the light...

It was a tiny figurine, about the size of a large cup, though it was covered in crusted sand and seasalt, making it impossible to tell what it was. All she could tell that it was cat or dog-like in structure and had two large fins stretching out from it's back. It had a few clean spots were purple crystal glimmered through, such as on the side of it; it was this clean spot that was glimmering, showing beautiful craftsmanship in carved scales...scales...

Wait a minute.

Melody blinked in surprise before grabbing the bottom of her shirt, wrapping her thumb in it; she used her wrapped-up thumb to scrub or the crusty sea-salt and sand from the small figurine, using the water she was in to her advantage. It took a few minutes to get it all off, and by the time she was done the water in front of her was thick with floating sand and other such crud from the sea.

But once she swam back from the sand cloud, her eyes widened in amazement at the item in her hands, a soft gasp of awe escaping her lips.

The 'figurine' was a beautiful crystal-carving of a purple-colored dragon with golden horns, claws, and tail-blade, perched on a bronze, half-sphere base carved with magical-looking symbols and images. The dragon was sitting upright like a cat or dog would, the head held up high and proud, the long tail wrapped around the base, and the fiery-orange wings held out dramatically behind it. It was carved perfectly, down to every last little scale and claw. The lavender eyes seemed to hold a living aura of pride and nobility.

"Wow..." Melody whispered softly; she ran her right finger gently over the top of the dragon's head, as if petting it. It was the most beautiful carving she had ever seen, especially the detail and skill in the eyes.

They almost looked...alive.

*ZINK!*

"AH!" Melody cried, dropping the statue as she pulled her hand back, gritting her teeth as she grabbed her wrist with her other hand, hissing in pain. What was that? Did she prick her finger on one of it's spines? She examined her now sore finger; no...no blood, cut, or wound of any kind. But _boy _did that _sting_, whatever it was, leaving a weird tingling feeling coursing through her entire hand. She looked down at the figurine, which was now laying on it's side on the sea floor.

_'What was that?"_ She asked mentally, frowning in confusion as she sucked on her sore finger. _'Some sort of magic? It felt like somebody stabbed me with a needle!'_

Once the tingling disappeared, she floated down to the sea floor and bent down to get the dragon again; she hesistated when her hand reached it, before gently tapping it quickly. No more shocks. She tapped again...then again...before picking it up again and turning back upright, just floating there in the blue, staring at her new-found possession with wonder and confusion.

"Melody!" Sebastian's panicked voice called to her; she looked up to see the crab swimming toward her as if he had seen a shark. "Your fadder's old friends have just arrived for de party!"

Melody nearly panicked herself. "A-And I'm still a mermaid!" She cried; she quickly fumbled around to get her bag up, shoving the dragon statue inside with the rest of her collected sea stuff. "Mom and Dad are gonna _kill _me!" She shouted as she made a beeline for the shore, one hand cupping her necklace in readiness to transform the second she got there, not even stopping for Sebastian to follow her.

She'd have to sneak back in again...

* * *

_Eric's Palace:_

"Eric Corallsen! I cannot _believe_ how long it's been!"

Eric grinned at the sight of the man who had greeted him, laughing heartedly as they gave each other a friendly man-hug, like old friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time. "Frederick! I haven't seen you in _years_! It's great to see you!" He over looked the man's uniform. "Look at you! _Commodore of the Queen's Royal Navy_? I can't believe it; you've actually been promoted to Commodore!"

'Frederick' laughed heartly, slapping an arm around Eric's shoulders. "And look at you! You actually found yourself a wife and settled down in your father's place!" He said in a teasing tone. "It seems just like Yesterday you jumped aboard your father's schooner and disappeared out to sea, saying the life of a sailor was calling you and that you'd never return to land again!"

Eric chuckled. "Well, fate has it's own plans, as usual."

Ariel smiled fondly at the sight of her husband laughing alongside his old childhood friend from his days in the London Academy; the one he had told her about whenever the topic came up. Frederick was just a little taller as Eric and a few years older, with messy chocolate-brown hair and eyes to match. He was currently dressed in a naval officers uniform with a blue top with black pants, golden shoulder cuffs, and, the badges on his chest showing off his rank for all to see.

"Here, I want you to meet someone." Eric then said, slapping his own arm around Frederick's shoulders and leading him to the red-haired princess. "Frederick, this is my wife Ariel. Ariel, this is Frederick, the one who I told you about."

Ariel smiled warmly. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Frederick." She said with equal warmness in her voice.

Frederick grinned. "Likewise." He told her; he then pulled away from Eric, holding his arm out toward a young woman approaching them. "And I'd like you two to meet _my _wife, Isabella."

'Isabella' smiled just as warmly. "It's been a long time, Eric." She said with a laugh.

Isabella was a beautiful young woman that was the same height as Ariel; her shorter auburn hair was tied back neatly in one big braid that reached her shoulders, and her eyes were an enchanting bright greenish-blue in color. The dress she wore was neither too fancy nor too plain for the occasion, and was of the prettiest turqouise color.

Eric's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Wait..._Issy_?! From London University?!" He exclaimed in surprise; he then burst into laughter, nearly falling over as he clutched his stomach. "I _knew _it! You _did _have a crush on her when we were kids!"

Frederick looked sheepish, but happy. "Well, there was always something about her back in those days, just as there is now." He said fondly, putting the arm he had introduced her with around her back lovingly.

"This is too good..." The black-haired prince stated, his laughter dying down into amused chuckles. "I mean, _wow_! Isabella! The last time I saw you, you still had blond hair and your nose in a book."

Isabella smirked. "Mmm hmmm, and the last time I saw you, you and Freddy here were stuffing frogs down the back of my dress." She said coyly.

Ariel shot her husband a playfully deadly look. "He did, did he?" She asked with equal coyness.

Eric cringed, but grinned all the same. "It was worth the detention just to see you scream and jump around like a howler monkey." He admitted, chuckling at all the hilarious childhood memories. "Yeah, we were quite the pranksters back then...but I hope a truce is optional now?" He asked hopefully.

Isabella's smirk turned back into that welcoming smile. "Of course. Besides, I got back at you two when I glued you two to your classroom seats." She said with her own laugh; they all burst into laughter then, as old friends reliving fun memories.

"I'm glad you all could make it." Ariel told them all once she managed to stop laughing. "It means so much to us, and Melody would love to meet you all."

"Where is the dear, anyway?" Isabella asked. "We've heard so much about your daughter; wonderful things. And I can wait to meet-"

"Melody!" Ariel suddenly exclaimed.

Melody almost screamed as she spun around in surprise, dropping the rolled-up dress and bag full of seashells in her turn; the shells and treasures scattered all over the floor with the sound of shattering glass. She had been trying to sneak upstairs while they talked in order to clean up, get dressed, and come back down as if nothing happened. Her soaked undergarments clung to her skin, and her hair was still dripping wet, the water running off her and making a small puddle on the floor.

"M-Mom! D-Dad! I was just..." She stammered, bending down to gather up her things, blushing a bit under all their stares.

Frederick couldn't stop the grin from forming on her face. "I can see the family resemblance already." He said, slapping another arm around Eric's back. "She's definitely your daughter, Eric."

Eric grinned. "And I couldn't ask for a better one." He told them, beaming at Melody with pride.

Melody blushed deeply, hugging her dress and bag to her chest tightly in shyness. "H-Hi." She murmured softly. "I'm s-sorry about this. I was just...oh..." She moaned.

Ariel smiled. "It's alright, sweetheart. There's no harm done." She assured her. "Now, go get yourself cleaned up and dressed for the party; you don't want to celebrate your birthday with us in your underclothes, do you?" She asked her daughter with a smirk.

Melody blushed. "Y-Yeah, that wouldn't be very fun." She said; and with that, she turned and headed up the stairs, leaving a trail of wet footprints on the steps as she went. In no time, Melody was gone from both sight and earshot; Eric stood where he was as Ariel approached and put her arm around him.

"What an...odd daughter we have sometimes..." She told him, unable to keep a smirk from lifting the corner of her mouth.

"She gets it from you, I'll bet." Eric said, gently caressing her chin with his finger. "Just like all your other traits."

"She's adorable, Eric." Isabella told him. "If only your parents could see you now."

Frederick nodded. "Indeed. Look at you; ruling the kingdom perfectly and having a beautiful family like this one? Your father would be _very _proud of you."

At the mention of his parents, the prince's cheerful demeanor quickly fell into a sad, regretful one; it looked as if he had aged twenty years, the weight of said years weighing heavily on his shoulders. "I...I'd rather not speak about my parents ...especially of my father." He said soemly.

Both Frederick and Isabella looked understanding. "I understand." The former agreed.

Ariel frowned in confusion; during all her years of being married to the prince, he had not once ever brought up his parents at all. Not even once. Of course she never asked about it, nor did she ever think of asking; she was having enough hardships being seperated from her own father for twelve years, so bringing up extended family members would only deepen her pain. But now that they brought it up...and given her husband's reaction to the topic...

From her postion behind the wall of the staircase, Melody frowned in confusion herself; when she thought about it, she didn't know anything from her father's side of the family either. She was often too busy listening to stories from her mother about her family and of life beneath the sea to hear anything about her dad's life...even though he never brought it up, anyway. Why would he want to avoid talking about his own family?

Everything was so confusing nowadays.

Sighing quietly to herself, she quickly proceeded up the rest of the stairs, not looking back as she headed for her room to get ready.

* * *

That evening, the rest of guests arrived at the palace to celebrate the day Melody had been brought into the world. All were dressed in elegant tuxedos and dresses, their colors making the ballroom as bright as the chandeliers themselves. Long, elegant tables were covered almost to the brim with mouth-watering foods of all kinds: fruits, meats, dairy products, breads, and luscious desserts litter the table as Chef Louis prepared them with 'manifique elegance', brought out by Carlotta and the other servants of the palace. And from the stage in the Ballroom, a classical orchestra played the perfect music for the traditional waltz in the background.

In their bedroom, Eric and Ariel were putting on the finishing touches to their wardrobes. The former was in his white tux with gold buttons and shoulder pads, black pants, and blue boots. The latter wore a brightly elegant yellow dress and shoes, a matching crown with sparkling diamonds, and a pair of seashell earrings dangling from her ears.

"...and I still can't get over that Frederick's married to Isabella." Eric chuckled. "I mean, those two were at each other's throats all the time! You wouldn't _believe _the fights they always got into...none of which Frederick won, if I recall."

Ariel grinned at her husband, giggling at his story; his childish excitement was just too amusing. "Love can form in even the most unlikely of places, or between the most unlikely of people. You and I are proof of that."

Eric smiled warmly. "And I couldn't be happier...though if you think about it, marrying a mermaid was the most likely thing to happen to me with the lifestyle I lived." He stated, dusting off his shoulder pads.

The red-haired princess' amusement faded, her face becoming a sad, serious one. "That reminds me, Eric." She said in a matching tone. "For almost twenty years we've been married, and you've never spoken about your parents. I can tell you don't like the subject, but-"

"It's okay, Ariel. I knew you would ask once he brought it up." Her husband assured her, though he looked torn; there a moment's silence before he sighed heavily, sitting down on the side of the king-sized bed they shared. "When I was young, my parents were loving, but strong on tradition; as the eldest...and only son of the King, it was my duty to inherit the crown when my father passed on. But I didn't want that at the time: I longed for adventure, to sail the seas just like the sailors in those adventure stories I read did, discovering treasure, battling pirates, and discovering far-off lands." He laughed half-heartedly, his voice heavy and longing. "I guess my father was right when he scolded me for 'dreaming up such fantasies', but I refused to listen...and when mom passed away to fever when I was twelve, what little love we had seemed...lost. When I turned fifteen, dad enrolled me into the Royal English University...or at least tried too; I refused to stay, always sneaking out to 'find adventure', and then on my sixteenth birthday, everything went up in flames: many words were said that shouldn't have been said, promises were broken, and that very night I jumped aboard the Royal Schooner and sailed away...that was the last time I ever saw him."

Ariel, who had taken her own seat next to him, gasped softly, though he didn't hear it.

"I returned about two months later, when I had gotten over my anger and longed for home...but the welcome was one I will never forget; I expected dad to be there to welcome me with open arms, as I was hoping him to be...but all I found was the kingdom heart-broken, Carlotta and Louis in mourning, and Grimsby telling me that my father, whom I cursed and defied the last time we were together, had died of a heart-attack _three days _before I arrived. Only _three days_...I never got to say goodbye."

The silence was deafening.

Tears began to build in Ariel's eyes as she stared at her true love in sorrow and pity; she could only how horrible it must be to live with such a burden...and she knew what it was like to leave a loved one behind in anger, but at least she had a chance to tell _her _father how sorry she was. A dark thought entered her mind: what would've happened if Triton had died before she married Eric, perhaps during the battle against the seawitch? And the last time they spoke to each other was when they fought and he destroyed her grotto.

To live with that for her entire life...never being able to tell him she still loved him.

"Just before he died, he wished that I would find a wife and take up his crown by my nineteenth birthday...but even in my remorse, I refused; I still wanted a life of sailing and adventure, especially now that I had a taste of it." He said with a hint of self-disgust. "So I set back out to sea, this time with Grimsby accompanying me, trying to get me to fulfill my father's wish and find a wife amongst the princesses of the neighboring kingdoms we made port at to resupply the ship...and then one day my life changed completely."

"What happened?" She asked.

There was a moment's pause, before Eric smiled warmly at her, take her hand in his own. "You happened. You pulled me out of the ocean and out of a false reality, saving me from drowning in both, showing me the truth, giving me an amazing family, about love and helping me grant my father's wish." He told her, gratitude filling his voice. "If it weren't for you, even if the storm didn't come, I'd still be wandering the ocean chasing after a dream I would never find, when the real life of adventure was right here all along."

Ariel couldn't stop the blush from rising to her cheeks as she smiled shyly; even after being married for almost two decades, she could never get over how amazing he was. "Thank you, Eric." She said softly.

"No...thank _you_." He corrected her; he then placed his lips on her own, embracing his wife in a loving and passionate kiss.

Then Grimsby, dressed in olive pants, blue socks, black shoes, and black tuxedo with olive cuffs, chose that very moment to enter the room, embarrassing both himself and the married couple. "Oh, I _do _beg your pardon, my Prince and Princess!" He stammered, ashamed of waltzing in abruptly. "Forgive my most sudden intrusion."

Eric and Ariel shared a laugh, making the most of a really bashful situation.

"That's quite all right, Grims." Eric chuckled. "We were just on our way downstairs anyway once we go get Melody. She should be ready by now."

"That's what I came to tell you, Master Eric." Grimsby told him. "I went to go check on Melody a short while ago, and she isn't in her room, sir."

"No need to worry, Grims. She's probably already downstairs."

"Um...not exactly."

That came as a surprise to the happy couple. "You mean she _isn't _downstairs?" Eric asked.

Grimsby shook his head. "I've even asked around, from Carlotta to Frederick, and no one's seen so much as a glass slipper of her anywhere. Then again, if I may, young Melody _does _have a capacity to disappear quite suddenly."

_'Just like me at that age...'_ Ariel thought, smirking despite herself, recalling how she often vanished during concerts and other dates during her life in Atlantica.

"Try not to worry too much, Grimsby." She stated, smiling. "I think _I _know where she may have gotten off to."

* * *

_Shoreline:_

Down by the shore, Melody was sitting on a marble-carved bench at the foot of the staircase that led down to the beach, resting her chin in her hands as she started longingly out to sea, watching and listening to the sound of the waves crashing calmly against the sand. The ballgown dress she was wearing was absolutely lovely; it was a rose-red in color with a golden brocade, her usual ponytail now braided and a golden tiara with rubies adorned her head, a pair of pink slippers adorning her feet. It was thanks to her dress why she was sitting on the bench instead swimming about in the water; it was the 'Ladies Bench', as Melody had nicknamed it when she was a little girl, since ladies had to sit on it to avoid getting dirty.

But the princess was too depressed to give much thought of her childhood jokes.

"_There _you are, young lady." She heard a familiar voice say; the young princess looked up to see her mother strolling up to her. "I had a feeling I'd find you right out here. What have you been up to, sweetie?" The former mermaid asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing..." Melody said halfheartedly, her voice not even coming close to convincing. "Just getting a little fresh air first before saying hello to all of our guests, that's all..."

It was plausible for Ariel, but she could tell it was something else. "Come on, now." She said encouragingly, gently running her fingers against her daughter's forehead, fondly tucking a few stray strands of hair out of her face. "I know you, Mel. What's going on?"

Melody stared at her mother's kind, understanding eyes in silence...before sighing, looking back out to sea. "Mom, do I really have to do this _again_?"

"What do you mean?" Ariel asked, before she blinked in realization. "You mean the birthday party?" She allowed herself to give a soft laugh. "Come on, Mel. It won't end like all the others; that's changed, remember?"

"Has it?" She asked halfheartedly. "It's not the birthday party..." She admitted, her gaze turning upwards to the stars, sighing once more. "It's _everything._ That's what I was talking about with Sebastian today: I was expecting my life to be better when I took the wall down; to change into a life I always dreamed about...but, apart from our brief visits to Atlantica, I don't things have changed at all. It's still the same as it was before: big...lifeless..._lonely_...meaningless..."

"Ah...I see." Her mother said softly, looking thoughtful. "For once, Melody. I _can _say I understand how you feel." She told her daughter, wrapping a loving arm around her. "Do you remember the story I told you about your grandfather banning music for ten years?" Melody nodded in response, lifting her eyes to meet her mother's. "After he lifted the ban, life became better than before, but in a sense it felt empty; as if something was missing from life the entire time. Soon afterwards I discovered the world above the ocean waves, and it was then I discovered what my life was truly meant for: a life on the land."

"But you got your wish: to live on the land as a human." Melody murmured sadly, looking away again. "I...I don't want to leave you and dad; not after all we've been through...but, sometimes...I..."

"You wish you had accepted your grandfather's offer to live as a mermaid." Ariel finished for her.

Melody froze, looking horrified at her mother. "Nonono! I didn't-...I mean...I-!"

"Shhhhhhh..." The red-haired princess soothed her frantic daughter, placing a finger over her lips. "I don't blame you for thinking that; accepting daddy's choice would've been no different than I leaving my home to be with your own dad...but I'm glad of the decision you made. If you had accepted his offer, that would mean your father and I would lose you...and that's something I don't _ever _want to experience again."

Again. A painful spike of regret coursed through Melody's heart as she leaned into her mother's embrace; she knew her mother told her not to blame herself for that day, but she couldn't stop the guilt every time she thought about it. She practically disowned her mother and everything she knew and loved by handing that...monster of a octopin the Trident. Yes, she had been tricked and deceived, but still, deep down, she couldn't help but feel...shame.

"I...I just wish...my own wish could come true." She murmured against Ariel's collar bone.

"That you could live in the sea?" Ariel asked.

"No. That would be nice, but I really wish...that my life could still change...our lives could still change. For the better." She murmured softly.

If they were looking upwards toward the endless, diamond-filled sky, they would've spotted, just seconds after Melody finished her wish, a blue shooting star zipping across the sky.

"Come on, now. Let's go join the others, shall we?" She told her, standing up and helping her daughter to do so as well. "No sense wasting such a wonderful night sitting out here in the cold."

"I guess not." Melody admitted. "I-" She stopped, gasping in pain between her teeth as a sudden bolt of pain shot through her skull. It was both cold and hot at the same time, and almost forceful, as if something physical was trying to shove its way into her brain. She pushed her left hand against her head, slightly cringing in pain and trying not to shed tears.

"Melody? Melody, are you alright?" Ariel asked, instinctual panic shooting through her at the sight of her daughter in pain.

Suddenly, as quickly as it came, it stopped. Melody gasped as it pain just disappeared. No aftershocks. No aches. Nothing. As if she was never in pain.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just a headache" She muttered, blinking away the water that had built in her eyes. "That was weird..." She muttered aloud.

"Are you _sure _you're fine?" Ariel asked in concern, putting her hand to her daughter's forehead, feeling for a fever.

"I'm okay, now." She assured her mom. "But that was really odd; it was just there one moment and then it was just...gone."

The red-haired mother frowned in concern for a moment. "Well, if you say so..." She said, holding her hand out for Melody to take, which the raven-haired princess did gratefully.

Hand in hand, Ariel and Melody headed back up the stairs that lead to the entrance of the palace, where they were immediately greeted by Eric and Max, the latter of which greeted the two princess with his usual over-hyper barks and jumps. "Whoa, _down_, Max!" Eric said cheerfully. Max did as he was told as Eric took a fine look at his daughter. "Melody! _Look _at you! All dressed in a lovely shade of red!" He complimented.

"Thanks, Dad." Melody murmured softly in response, blushing lightly at such praise.

"Is that _you_, Melody?" Isabella asked as she and Frederick approached the family of three. "I didn't think you could _be _any more beautiful, and yet you are! What a gorgeous dress!"

"It sure matches your hair, doesn't it, Ariel?" Frederick asked.

The former mermaid grinned. "My daughter and I always _did _have the best taste in clothes." Ariel stated, winking at Melody, who giggled in response.

That's when a young boy about Melody's age and height approached the young princess; he had a head of golden-blonde hair combed back, fair skin, and the deepest green eyes any of them had seen. He was dressed in a suit like Eric's, the top matching his eyes with gold buttons and shoulder pads, dark-blue pants and black boots.

"Ah, Christian, there you are." Isabella said fondly. "Eric, this is our eldest, Christian. Christian, this is Prince Eric and Princess Ariel, rulers of this kingdom on the shore."

Christian gave a respectful bow. "Nice to meet you, sir, miss." He said respectfully. He then turned to Melody, looking a bit nervous. "Melody, w-would you care to dance with me?" He asked, offering his hand to her; it was easy to spot the nervousness in his stature and tone. Melody looked at her parents, and then to Frederick and Isabella; they each gestured with their hands, urging her to go ahead with the young man's invitation.

Feeling all eyes on her, Melody gives in.

"Sure. Why not?" She answered, taking Christian's hand and stepped out onto the dance floor with several others, including Carlotta and Chef Louis, though the latter of which tried feebly to get out of his dance.

"But mademoiselle." He insisted. "I have to prepare ze _rest _of ze entrees! I cannot engage in a..."

"Oh _hush _now, Louis!" Carlotta interrupted, promptly dragging the poor french chef out onto the dance floor. "The food can look after itself for awhile; all work and no play makes Louis a dull boy, and you work _far _too much in the kitchen as it is! A dance or two isn't going to kill you any!"

_'Oh, woe iz moi!'_ Louis thought to himself, defeated.

"Might as well join in the festivities." Eric said, taking Ariel by the hands as Frederick does the same with Isabella, and so everyone was out on the dance floor, swaying to the music played by the orchestra.

* * *

_Melody's Bedroom:_

While the ballroom downstairs was bright and alive with festivities and light, the Royal Princess Sutie of Princess Melody was, currently, in a completely different setting: dark, calm, and peaceful. The royal suite was of the usual kind fitting royalty: big and wide enough to house an elephant (according to Melody's opinion), complete with a stainless marble floor, a large, purple canopy-bed, a mirror dresser for tending to her accessories, a small table with a few chairs around it, a medium-sized bookshelf, a large closet and wadrobe full of clothes, a small play area which she had used when she was younger, and writing desk near the window, which led out to the balcony overlooking the sea.

The _perfect _room for any child of the royal family.

But what made Melody's suite stand out from those in other castles was her treasures: from near the right side of her bed to the left side of her closet, dozens of wooden shelves covered the wall in multiple rows; on these shelves rested countless pieces of sea rocks, shells, and other such natural relics of the ocean floor. If one were to compare, they would find the room to be fashioned in a similar fashion to Ariel's Grotto: walls lined with glimpses and items of another world just a surface of water away.

Usually Melody would've taken the time to find a place to put her newest additions to her collection, but didn't have the time to in the rush to get to the celebration; her bag was currently lying on her dresser, its contents already spilled out and sorted about on its smooth top.

And one of the contents was the dragon figurine, standing proud and tall amongst the crusty skells and rocks...and no more than three inches from Melody's seashell necklace.

Normally Melody would be wearing her pendant, but not tonight; she didn't want to risk the chance of losing it in the ballroom, or even worse for it to open up in front of everybody and reveal the existence of Atlantica to the entire Tri-Kingdom of Enchancia. Despite being allied with Coastalis, the merpeople still kept themselves hidden from the rest of the world, well aware of the evil some humans were still capable of.

But soon...humans would be the _last _thing the kingdom of the sea would be worrying about.

The darkness and silence within the room was broken by a slim glimmer of light, along with the sound like rattling china; a powerful force of magic hummed steadily from both the statue and the necklace, the latter's shell creaking open and shaking, the magic inside leaking out through the crack. It resembled golden, glowing water, being pulled out of the necklace by being pushed against the opening from the inside, the magic forcing its way out from within the shell and trickling out onto the dresser. The water then slowly slithered forward, like a tiny stream, slowly inching its way toward the base of the dragon statue...as if it was drawning the magic to itself.

The necklace continued to shake, now more violently, the magic inside forcing itself trying to break free, while the steadily growing flow increased.

The stream of magic water finally hit the base of the statue...absorbing into it like water into a sponge...

* * *

The orchestra started the next song for the people to dance to (except Louis, who was _very_ adamant of heading back to the kitchen, with Carlotta following), and the dancers were already moving to the soothing rhythm, facing their partners with deep passion and love, depending on who each was stuck with. Melody was quite comfortable with dancing with Christian, knowing that he and his parents were personal friends to the family; not only that, but he seemed more awkward at the moment than she did.

Watching their children dance made four parents proud, eyeing them even as they dance themselves.

"Melody dances like the divine young lady that she is, Eric." Frederick complimented over to him as they waltz by.

"I could say the same of your _own_ daughters, Frederick." Eric said in return, turning his gaze to where two blond-haired twin girls in matching dark-blue dresses were dancing with their own partners. "Not to mention your wife."

"Better that _me_, you think?" Ariel asked slyly.

"Whatever is _that _supposed to mean?"

Ariel giggled. "Lighten up, honey. It was just a joke. Where's your sense of humor tonight?" She asked playfully.

It was Eric's turn to laugh. "Don't worry, sweetheart. It's right here; beside my sword." He stated fondly.

The two married couples all chuckled/giggled at his attempt at Eric's attempt at humor, when a distant rumble sounded from beyond the great windows under which the orchestra was sitting. The dance and music died down as many heads in the room turned their gaze to the windows to see flashes of light against storm clouds far out to sea...while the storm clouds forming above the castle covering the night skies rumbled in chain-reaction, creating a show of flashes of light dancing across the now dark, foreboding skies. They could actually see the clouds slowly forming into existence.

"What on earth?" Eric exclaimed, frowning in concern. "The skies were clear just minutes ago!"

"Not even tropical storms generate that fast." Frederick agreed in an equally-concerned tone. "Even during this time of year."

"So how...?" Eric muttered...before he perked up in realization; he glanced at his wife, who looked just as confused as he did. "Ariel...you don't think...this has something to do with..." He began quietly.

Ariel's eyes widened a bit. "Maybe...but why would daddy bring up a storm like this, especially during Melody's birthday?" She asked in a hushed tone, so that those nearby wouldn't hear them speak. "...I don't think this is daddy's work; it's magic, alright, but not that of the Trident."

"Then what-?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"

Melody's scream tore through the air like a knife, the entire ballroom gasping or exclaiming in shock, surprise, and/or concern as the princess collapsed onto her knees in the middle of the dance floor, crying in pain as she clutched her head tighty; the mysterious headache she had experienced before was back, now increased tenfold. Tears poured down her cheeks as the stabbing, tearing waves of agony tore at her skull, like clawed hands trying to rip her head open and their owner trying to push its way inside her head.

"Melody!" Ariel and Eric cried, both parents rushing to their daughter's side; the former dropped to her knees, reaching a hand out to her daughter, though hesistant, as if it would cause her even more pain. "Melody, what's wrong?!"

"M-My head!" Melody wailed, her fingers digging into her temples; tiny drops of blood began to run from where her fingernails dug in. "It f-feels like i-it's splitting! M-Make I-It S-Stop! IT H-HURTS!"

"Somebody get a doctor in here now!" Eric shouted at the crowd. "Hurry!" There were a few responses like 'yes, sir!' and 'right away!' amongst the watching nobles and servants, many of the latter running off to find someone who could help them.

"Hang in there, sweetie." Ariel soothed her whimpering, trembling daughter, bringing her into her embrace, resting her head against her collar bone; Melody's hands gripped her mother's dress, gasping for air as she pressed her head strongly against the older princess's neck, sweat running down her trembling body.

_**KRAC-CROOOOOM!**_

The world lit up as the first true bolt of lightning blasted across the distant horizon, lighting up the ballroom with a blinding white flash. Many of the children (and some of the adults) cried out in fear, the younger ones clinging to their parents and to each other in terror. In this day and age, lightning and thunder were a force of nature that was practically unknown, and none the less dangerous; forces from gods, they could very well be.

Melody whimpered, her grip tightening on her mother's skirts; she was no different; since she was young, she had greatly feared lightning storms, and she still did, those loud, terrifying bolts of pure power lightning up the darkness like great claws of power. Not only that, but the deep, almost roar-like rumbles of the thunder were pounding through her head, doubling the pain she was already in.

More tears spilled from her eyes as she wept in pain and fear. Her head felt as if it was being torn apart from the inside, and she was deathly afraid as well.

And this was going to be the night where everything went right...

* * *

The entire suite was now filled with a dim rippling glow of golden light, like light underneath water reflecting through onto a cave's interior; the magic golden waters were now gushing forth from the struggling pendant, cascading over the dresser and spilling down onto the floor like a waterfall, washing everything on the dresser off with it. Already a large puddle of the glowing liquid was spreading across the marble floor, forming out farther and farther as more water came pouring down from above.

The dragon statue washed into the center of the room with the tide, the waters swirling around it as it kept absorbing every ounce that came pouring out, creating a whirlpool within the growing puddle of magic. The more it absorbed, the more it began to glow; brighter and brighter with every passing second, as it began to fill with more and more magic of the sea.

Suddenly the flow from the necklace stopped, the last water pouring over the edge of the dresser, leaving a soppy, dripping, glowing mess dripping over the edge. The necklace itself had been completely drained of magic: it was now a dirty, rusted, copper-brown trinket, no longer smooth and gentle. As if the very life-blood of the sea had been drained from it.

The 'life-blood' now coursing through the dragon figurine...

The large pool of magic water filling the room now began to shrink in on itself, slowly flowing inwards toward the center, where the small draconic figure lay on the marble floor, the glow continuing to grow brighter and brighter as it continued to drink up every drop of magic in it's reach, the puddle draining in on itself as the light intensfied.

Soon, every last drop of Trident Magic was drained from the room, the watery glow disappearing with it as the last ounces of liquid were sucked up into the crystal statue; The only light now in the room was the fiery blinding glare of gold coming from it, now shining as brilliant as the sun itself.

Then the yellow light turned purple as it was the statue shaking on the floor; with the sound of slowing cracking glass, the figurine began to forms cracks that spreading in a spider-web fashion in ice as the purple light shining through them grew brighter and brighter as the magic inside was building up to the point of-

It _exploded_.

With a sound like thunder, the tiny statue exploded in a powerful blast of purple flames and blinding white light, illuminating the once dark room as if the sun had come down to earth.

* * *

Melody screamed a cry of pure agony as the pain shattered through her skull, her back arching in reflex as her skull felt as if it exploded, fiery pain like none other she had ever felt before-it stopped.

The pain...the crushing...the agony...gone. Just gone. As if it never existed.

Her body and mind shakened badly from the scarring experience, now free, gave out; she collapsed in her parents arms and went limp, her eyes closing as she slepped into a much-needed darkness.

"Melody...MELODY!" Ariel cried, shaking her daughter's limp form. "Wake up! Please, wake up!"

"Calm down, your highness." Hansel, the palace's royal physician and Melody's personal doctor since her childhood, told the panicking princess. The grey-haired, eldery, glasses-wearing man pulled his stethoscope back, taking it from his ears and letting it hang from his neck. Eric, Ariel, Frederick and his family, and a few members of the royal staff were all gathered around, most of them kneeling by the unconscious princess. The guests all watched from a respectable distance. "She's alive, and seems to be perfectly healthy."

"Then what happened?" Eric demanded, almost angrily.

Hansel ran his right hand's fingers through his beard. "Well...from what I can tell, she's suffered some sort of mind trauma; I don't know what caused it, but her unconsciousness is a result of the pain ending and her body shutting itself down to recover from whatever caused the attack. If all goes well, she'll awake in a few hours, just as if she was sleeping."

That didn't bring much comfort to Ariel's worry-stricken mind and heart; her daughter had been hurt, in a way no one knew of, and she couldn't do anything to prevent it, stop it, or even help her get through it. Her own tears came to her eyes as she watched her daughter lay helpless in her arm, her chest slowly lifting and falling with each breath; she had failed to protect her daughter. To help her. To keep her promise and be there whenever she need her. That was promise any and all good parents gave to their children...and she failed it.

What kind of mother allows that to happen to her child?

Eric spotted the sorrow running down her face, and he knelt down beside her, placing his comforting arms around her as best he could. "Don't blame yourself for this, Ariel." He told her gently. "It wasn't your fault. And it's all going to be fine now."

* * *

Everything died down, the bright glare slowly dwindling down to a dimmer but still bright glow of purple firelight, the flames' glow dancing across the walls and ceiling. A large halo of purple flames was now burning in the center of the floor, creating what would resemble a magican's fiery circle of magic.

A massive saurian paw came crashing out from the flames, slamming down upon the floor, punching large holes in the marble with its talon-like claws.


End file.
